Bulletin-board.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS M.

HENRY, on NEW YORK, N. Y., nssielwlu, Bx MEsim, Als siemaniws, r0

MABEL CRANE BAKER, or sramronn, CONNECTICUT,

Original application filed. July 19, 1906, Serial No. 326.854. Dividedand this 1910; Serial No. 538,036.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS M. HENRY, residing at New York, in thecounty of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Bulletin-Boards, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to bulletin boards for communicating news to thepublic, and refers more particularly to devices for reproducing theresults of a. baseball, football or other athletic game or event byindicating the travel or positions of'certain of the factors therein insuch manner as Will enable the public or spectators to readilyunderstand and follow the same, and is a division of my application forLetters Patent of the United States filed July 19th, 1906,.Serial No.326,854. A'prime object of this invention is to pro-' vide electrical orother signals, with appropriate connections therefor, comprising, forinstance, the equipping of such device in any of the embodiments of thisinvention.

with a plurality of series of electric light bulbs leading radially fromvarious significant positions which are directl or indirectly thereonindicated (such as, or illustratio'n, a series from the point, amongothers, lqiown as the pitchers box in a device for reproducing abase-ball game). 'A further additional feature .whichwould admit ofproper installation in this invem tion would be to place a singleelectric light bulb at each of certain positions, such as, in a devicefor reproducing a baseball game, the positionsknown as 1st base, 2ndbase 3rd base and home.

' features could be introduced in accordance with the concept of thisinvention, such as,

.for example, signals adapted to be operable singly or with reference totheir arrange- F b i t of this iTlVBntiQn i t 'e s I is shown onsupporting-member 4 (Fig. 1) a 'mentin related groups, instances whereofin a device for reproducing a baseball game would reside in theordinarily-accepteddisposition of strike, ball and out groups. Apreferable correlated feature of this invention would be to provide aswitch, switching means or the like, so constructed as to be withinreach of an operator and to be operable to actuate as desired one ormore of said series, by lighting and unlighting, for example,progressively in. forward or reverse order. the units of one 01"Specification of Letterslatent.

mentioned- Furtheri lar parts Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

application filed January 14, i

more of series, the operation of which means with reference to. theseveral series being independent or simultaneous. A further desirablefeature would be to provide means to operate the above-mentionedisolated or grouped signals.

An object is to provide a device of th above cracter which will occupy aminimum amount of space wherever employed,

111 part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly-consists in the features of construction,combinations of. elements, and arrangements of parts which will beexemplified in the description here-- inafter set forth, and the scopeof the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein 1s shown a possible embodiment'ofthis invention which would be provided with certain of the featuresabove-mentioned and which would be adapted to reproduce the results of abaseball game: Figure 1 is av front elevation of a signal-carryingmember adapted to be exposed to the public; Fig. 2 is a front elevationof; a member carrying various operating means and adapted tobe placedwithin reach of an operator; Fig. 3

is a detail view of one of the operating units of'the device illustratedin Fig, 2, being a section taken on the line w-a2 of said last-Similar-reference characters refer to simi- -throughout the severalviews of the drawing.

Referring now particularly to the emdiagrammatic arrangement of electriclight bulbs, so disposed that they constitute a plurality of the seriesabove-mentioned and out line the paths of travel of the playing fac-,tors, by formiiwint'erconnectors between the cc F, cc cc 7:, cc n, Fouland-Passed ball. For greater clearness, the points ffH and 1, 1, and cc2 ,7 cc 2 a, and cc 3 a an ac H a: d

- n and 1 aresh'own in the sawing; as

connected by dotted lines. There are also shown on member 4 individualbulbs, of slightly larger size, at the points H 1 2 and 3 which, whileforming units in certain of the series above-mentioned,

are yet capable of independent operation, through means hereinafterdescribed. There is also shown on said member 4 a plurality of bulbgroups, inscribed Balls, Strikes and Outs There is also shown on saidmember 4, beneath the position marked C a pocket 5, attached to member4, and adapted to receive therein cards or placards 6, to indicate, forexample, the player at bat. There is shown. on member 7 (Fig. 2) apossible means of controlling the illuminations 'of the bulbs on member4, adapted to. operate through the circuits shown, which circuits willbe described hereinafter.

The controlling or switching means shown for operating the series-bulbswill now be described.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that member 7 is shown as beingcomprised by the walls 8 and 9. Wall 9 has aflixed thereto as showninsulating material as at 10. Wall 8 is provided with a plurality ofgrooves (as at 11, Figs. 2 and 3,shown in solid black in the formerfigure, since they there expose portionsof insulating material 10), thearrangement of which grooves, as shown in Fig. 2, bears a diagrammaticresemblance to the arrangement of the series-bulbs in Fig. 1. Anadditional groove 12 is shown as depending from grooves 11, which isadapted to accommodate a plurality of bridging-devices 13. Referring toFig. 3, each'of said bridging-devices is shown as being comprised by aslide-piece 14 which rides in side-grooves .15 and carries therein apushpin 16 normally held as shown through the action of spring 17.Push-pin 16 is restrained from further upward movement by the provisionof shoulder 18 on the same. Push-pin 16 carries at its lower end,fixedly positioned therein, a crom-member 19 which is adapted, upon thedepression of push-pin 16, to bridge bus-bar 20 and a contact 21 (seealso Fig. 3, where wall 8 is shown as broken away, thereby exposing, aswell as insulation 10, a bus-bar 20 and its set of contacts 21).Push-pin 16 is shown as having insulation at 22. There are shown fivebridging-devices 13, which may be used simultaneously, if desired, tooperate the appropriate bulbs to indicate the simultaneous movements ofthe ball from any point and of a player from each of the points markedH, 1 2 and 3 With the pushpin 16 in its normal position, any one of thebridging-devices 13 may be guided to any point on the groove-diagramwhence a series is to be operated, and thereafter, by depressing saidpush-pin the forward travel in its respectively groove ofbridging-device 13 will bridge the appropriate bus-bar in successionwith the units in its attendant line of contacts, thereby lighting andunlighting through the proper circuits, which will be describedhereinafter, the bulb-units in the bulb-series cor-.

.bar 20 and the contact 21 corresponding to such bulb are bridged. Thus,taking bulb 0, for instance, its circuit would be traceable as follows:from the battery through wires 23 and 23 to the bus-bar 20, thenceacross a bridging-device 13 assumed to be properly in position, thenceto the appropriate contact 21, thence through wire 24 to bulb 0 andthrough the same, and thence through wire 25 back to the battery. Wires26, 27, 28; 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33 are links in the circuits for themarked 1, a, I), (Z, 6, f, g, and H, and correspond to the link 24 inthe circuit for the bulb marked 0, the other sections of the saidcircuits being common to all of the bulbs above-mentioned. There arealso shown possible switching means for the bulbs 1 2 3 and H,independent of the switching means just described. These compriseswitches as at 1, 2', 3 and H, shown in'Fig. 2. For purpose ofsimplicity, the circuit only for the bulb 1 is shown, comprising thewire 23 to the point 34, thence the wire 35 to the switch and throughthe same, and thence the wires 26.

and 37 to bulb 1 and through the same, and thence through wire 25 backto the battery. It is of course understood that each bulbs respectivelyof the similar circuits for the bulbs 2,

3 and H would comprise in part a separate lead from wire '23 (similar tothe lead 35 to the switch 1') and a separate return to wire 26 (similarto the return 36 from the switch 1). There are also shown possibleswitching means for the ball, strike and out bulbs. These comprise inpart wires 38 and in part wires' 39 and 25. Between the sections of thepresent-discussed circuit comprising for the one section said wire 38and for the other section said wires 39 and 25, are interposed theappropriate bulbs marked respectively Balls Strikes and Outs (Fig. 1).the appropriate switches marked respectively Balls Strikes and Outs(Fig. 2), and the appropriate circuit sections marked respectively asgroups 40, 41 and 42.

The operation of the device should be obvious from the abovedescription, and it is merely necessary to say that in accordance withinformation received, either telephonic,

telegraphic or otherwise, the operator stabe retained; some parts mightbe employed without the others and new features thereof may be combinedwith elements old in the art in devious ways, although the hereindescribed types are regarded as embodying substantial modifications. I

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It isalso to be understood that the language used in the following claims isintended to cover all of the generic and specific features of theinvention herein described and all statements of the scope of theinvention, which as a matter of'language might be said to falltherebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus of the class described,

adapted to reproduce graphically a ball game in'combination, a membercarrying the representation of a field, and a plurality of closelyassociated ligths extending between difierent positions on the field,the game which is being reproduced adapted to indicate by theirprogressive luminosity in certain series certain features of the gamewhich is being reproduced.

2. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a membercarrying the representation of a field, and a plurality of closelyassociated lights leading radially from different significant positionson the field adapted to indicate by their luminosity certain features ofan event or the progress of certain factors therein.

3. In apparatus of the class described, in combination; a membercarrying the representation of a field, a plurality of lights toindicate certain positions on the field, and a plurality of closelyassociated lights arranged in series adapted to indicate by theirprogressive luminosity, in series certain features of an event or theprogress of factors therein.

4. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a membercarrying the representation ,of a field, and electrical means adapted tobe more prominently displayed in progressive series to indicate theprogress of certain factors appropriate to said field and atsubstantially any point of the field.

5. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a membercarrying the representation of a field, electric signals disposedthereon in series, and switching means for actuating progressively theunits of one or more of said series independently or simultaneously.

6. In apparatus of the class described, in

combination, a member carrying the representation of a field, aplurality of series of closely associated lights arranged in straightlines between certain designated positions on the field adapted toindicate by their progressive luminosity in certain series certainfeatures of an event, and switching means for actuating progressivelythe units of one or more of said series.

7. An apparatus of the class described, in

ball field, electric lights disposed thereon in a plurality of series,each series consisting of terminal lights and a plurality of lightsbetween said terminal lights and positioned in a straight line with saidterminal lights and switching members for actuating the individuallights progressively ineach of the series,

10. In a ball game bulletin, the combination of a wall having on theexposed face thereof a field representation and a plurality of series oflamps extending in different directions over the field, a plurality ofseries of contact points positioned at a point removed from the exposedfield representation and arranged to bear a diagrammatic resemblance tothe arrangement of the plurality of series of lamps, and a contactmember successively movable from one contact point to another throughouta particular series to successively illuminate the lamps of acorrespondingly arranged series on the field representation.

11. In a ball game bulletin, the combination of a wall having on the onesurface thereof a field representation, a plurality of' series oflighting devices extending between,

different positions on the field, a plurality of series of contactpoints positioned at a point beyond the field representation, andarranged to bear a diagrammatic resemblance to the arrangement of theplurality.

erate the lighting devices of a correspond ingly arranged series on thefield represen tation.

12. In a ball game bulletin, the combination of a wall having upon anexposed surface thereof a ball field representation, and a plurality ofseries of lamps extending in different directions over the fieldrepresentation, and means for successively lighting the lamps of anyparticular series whereby to progressively indicate the movement of afactor of a game, said means including -a plurality of guide groovesbearing a dia grammatic resemblance to the arrangement of the pluralityof series of lamps, contact points arranged substantially parallel tothe grooves and in electric connection with the lamps on the fieldrepresentation, and an operating contact member arranged to move alongsaid grooves to successively establish connection between the contactpoints and the lamps whereby to light the latter.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

AUGUSTUS M. HENRY.

